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The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan is arelatively small Muslim country,situated in the Near East at the headof the Gulf of Aqaba. The ornithologicalappeal of this little-known country derivesfrom its position at the juncture of threeland masses-Europe, Africa and theMiddle East-and the diversity of itsavifauna reflects this. Despiteneighbouring Israel's huge popularity withEuropean birdwatchers, Jordan has,illogically, remained completely neglected.On this holiday we will enjoy the heavymigration of birds that annually takes place through the region at this time ofyear, without attendant hordes ofbirdwatchers. Furthermore, Jordan is aplace of cultural fascination, rich in sites of archaeological interest.The wildlife opportunities in Jordan areoutstanding and the tour runs at theoptimum time, when the country's residentbirds are joined by European and westAsian migrants arriving from their Africanwinter quarters. Together with these springvisitors we will also enjoy the specialistbirds of the region's varied desertlandscapes, amongst them the elusivelarks, whose pale plumages can makethem almost invisible against their arid,sandy habitats. Adding to thisornithological experience is the excitementof Jordan's scenery, which is some of themost varied and impressive in the MiddleEast. The contrasting backdrops to ourdaily walks can be explained bydifferences in geology, and an insight intothe country's varied rock types-limestones, multicoloured sandstones andbasalts-will add to our appreciation ofJordan's scenery and wildlife.Our holiday begins at the Dead Sea. Thisis a dramatic location, the waters of thehuge, saline lake taking on an almostethereal beauty in the mist of earlymorning, whilst the towering sandstonecliffs on its western shores provide animpressive backdrop. Here, we should seethe first of the typical desert birds,including the strange, ground-dwellingArabian Babbler, Blackstarts and Tristram'sGrackles. The extensive and wellpreserved Graeco-Roman ruins of Jerashlie in Mediterranean surroundings ofancient Gillead, and we will have a fullafternoon to explore and soak up theatmosphere of this magnificent site. Ourroute there will give us an opportunity tobirdwatch by the Zarqa River and in thenative pine woods of Dibbin. LeavingAmman, we enter the stony expanses ofthe Eastern Desert. Here we will stop attwo 8th century 'desert castles' of theOmayyad Period, and search for desertspecialities such as Red-rumped Wheatearand Temminck's Horned Lark, and we maybe lucky to discover migrant ThrushNightingale and Collared Flycatcher in atree-lined wadi.Precious little water remains in the famousAzraq oasis but we will use it as our basebefore heading into the boulder-strewn,lunar landscape of the black Basalt Desert.Our main quest will be to find the darkmorph of the Mourning Wheatear but thisis a little-known area and we hope todiscover much more. Azraq's castle is builtof basalt and is where Lawrence of Arabiaand the Arab Army rested before their finalassault on Damascus. Trees and scrubaround the resthouse and at the ShaumariWildlife Reserve provide cover forexhausted migrants as well as the residentDesert Finch. With luck there will be somewetland habitat to explore but that isdependent on the winter rains.The 6th century mosaic map at Madabawill be our first stop before we wind ourway down the length of the ancient King'sHighway, following in the steps of many atrader, army and pilgrim. We will stop enroute to watch Calandra Larks and look forJordan's national flower, the localisedBlack Iris. The landscape is dramatic aswe cross the canyons of Wadi al-Mujib andWadi al-Hasa and no less so at KerakCastle, commanding the route down to theDead Sea and west to Palestine. We willarrive at our campsite overlooking WadiDana in time to explore and photographthe dramatic view in the rich eveningcolours. One of the specialities of Dana,and indeed Jordan, is the Tristram's (orSyrian) Serin which has one of the mostrestricted distributions of any WesternPalearctic bird. We will also be on thelook-out for raptors; for, as well asbreeding Bonelli's Eagle, the mountainshere lie on the main migration routeheading north.Lost for centuries and rediscovered only in1812, the ancient Nabataean capital atPetra is one of the highlights of ourholiday. Carved from the rose-redsandstone and hidden amongst a range ofhills, the city and the vast facades ofPetra's magnificent palaces and temples,are only accessible through a long, narrowwinding chasm. Petra is also an excellentplace for birds, with two extremelylocalised specialities- the beautiful Sinai Rosefinch and Hume's Tawny Owl,which only emerges after dusk. Raptorsmigrate over the site and we may be luckyenough to witness a spectacular aerialpassage of thousands of SteppeBuzzards, Black Kites and Steppe Eagles.We now travel southwards, stopping at thedramatic valley of Wadi Rum where we willcamp in traditional Bedouin style, until wereach the southernmost town of Aqaba,Jordan's port at the head of the Red Sea.Here, a variety of migrants make theirlandfall from the south. We will watch forsuch unusual seabirds as White-eyed Gulland Brown Booby, and visit the localsewage works-not on most tourists'itinerary but one of the most productivebirdwatching sites in the whole region.Without doubt this will be a most excitingend to a fortnight packed withornithological and cultural interest. JordanA 15-day holiday in search of Jordan's desert birdlife, and famous archaeological sites.Saturday 31st March - Saturday 14th April Cost: £2,695Outline itinerary Day 1Fly Amman. Day 2/3Amman. Day 4/5Azraq. Day 6/7Wadi Dana. Day 8/9Petra. Day 10Wadi Rum. Day 11/13Aqaba. Day 14Amman. Day 15Fly London.AccommodationStandard tourist class hotels andguesthouses, most with privatefacilities, plus five nights of fullyserviced camping.FoodAll included in the price.GradingMostly easy walks, with longer -but fairly gentle - day walks in thePetra and Wadi Dana areas. GradeA/B.FocusBirds and archaeology. LeaderChris Kehoe, plus local guide. Single room supplement£380. ExtensionsExtra days in Aqaba or Amman canbe arranged (with or without carrental).Web quick search: JOR01154Call now or visit www.naturetrek.co.uk for your free Trip ItineraryIRAQSAUDI ARABIASYRIAISRAELAQABAWADI RUMAZRAQBASALTDESERTJERASHAMMANMADABAWADI AL-MUJIBKERAKWADI DANAPETRAWADI SHU`AYBSUWAYMADEADSEARED SEAJORDANWadi RumTemminck's Horned LarkPetra